Air fryers are all the rage in recent years. And it’s not hard to see why: everything becomes easier with an air fryer, from cooking chicken and meat to making french fries. But the truth is, most of us aren’t taking full advantage of everything it has to offer. This convenient gadget has plenty of little-known uses that will change your cooking game entirely. Whether you already have an air fryer or are considering purchasing one, you’ll be tempted to try out all these tips for making yummy food while keeping the appliance in tip-top shape.
Prevent a Smoky Air Fryer With a Little Bit of Water
It seems sometimes that air fryers are practically without fault. It’s shocking that all people don’t have them in their homes. However, they are not all perfect. While they come pretty close, one of the most annoying aspects of them is that they often get very smoky while cooking. This is usually the most relevant when it comes to cooking meats, and it can get quite annoying with the grease and oils that build up.
In order to prevent this, all you have to do is put a few tablespoons of water in the air fryer while it is cooking, and this will prevent the intense smokiness.
Make Individual Portions Using Silicone Cups
You may have thought that in life, the only thing that you can use silicone cupcake cups for would be to make good cupcakes. However, that is not the case, especially when it comes to cooking with an air fryer. Although you definitely can make cupcakes, they can also be used to cook just about anything in small individual portion sizes. You can cook mini omelets or small dishes to eat on the go.
Who doesn’t love a little mini snack that you can have on the go or just when you’re feeling a little peckish? Make snacking easy with silicone cups to cook them.
Add the Juice Leftover in the Air Fryer to Your Meal
This is probably the last thing that you expect to be able to make in an air fryer. After all, it’s not really something that is cooked. However, this isn’t the juice that you are probably thinking of, as it is not carrot or orange juice. Rather, it is the leftover juices of the foods that you cook. Don’t be skeptical just from the sounds of it. Try saving some of the juices and see how it adds flavor to other foods.
You won’t regret adding all the leftovers, spices, and juices from the food that you cook. It makes a wonderful addition to other meals.
Make Desserts in Your Air Fryer
Although you might hear the word fryer and be led to believe that the only thing an air fryer is capable of is frying food. It makes sense that you would think that; however, the name is a bit deceiving. The air fryer is much closer to an oven than a fryer, and as a result, it can be used to cook things just as you would with an oven. That cooking also extends to baking.
One of the easiest things to make is small lava cakes like these ones or pretty much anything that fits in a small baking dish like this.
Salvage Stale Pastries With Water and an Air Fryer
Nothing is more frustrating than realizing the fresh pastries and bread that you bought so recently have gone stale. Not only is it a waste of money, but it is also just a bummer that the delicious food can no longer be eaten. Don’t despair too much – if you have an air fryer. All you need is a little water and some air fryer heat, and you will be able to revive the pastries.
Just add a small amount of water to the drip pan, turn up the heat, and you will see that you have fresh pastries in just a few short moments.
Defrost Frozen Foods
There is nothing worse than being ready to make a meal only to realize that you forgot to defrost some of the ingredients for the dish. Did you know that you can use your air fryer to defrost the vegetables easily? It also allows the vegetables to defrost at the correct level so that they’ll still be delicious when they are cooked. It is also super easy and only takes a few minutes.
You can cook the vegetables in the air fryer or any other cooking mechanism that you would normally use once they are defrosted properly using the air fryer method.
Always Preheat the Air Fryer
It’s already been made quite clear that the air fryer is much closer to an oven than a fryer, but the name will continue to stick. However, you need to keep in mind that many of the things you would do with an oven are just what needs to be done when it comes to using an air fryer. For example, you need to make sure that you preheat the air fryer before putting your food in.
This is especially important when it comes to working with meats. Preheating the oven ensures that they cook evenly and properly.
Use It to Hard “Boil” Eggs
Everyone loves a nice hard-boiled egg. It is perfect to have with sandwiches or even just as a snack. It can also be perfect for breakfast. But it is always difficult to ensure that the timing is correct when you are trying to hard boil an egg. After all, do you boil the water first and then add the egg, or the other way around? How long do you leave it in the water? The questions are endless.
With an air fryer, all of your problems are solved, and you don’t even need water in order to hard boil the eggs. You just need to cook them on low heat for 15 minutes. Easy peasy.
Avoid Nonstick Cooking Sprays
Most people tend to think that nonstick cooking sprays are one of the saviors of the kitchen. Although that may be true under most circumstances, that is not the case when it comes to air fryers. Nonstick cooking sprays can actually do more harm than good. They can clog the air fryer and cause disruptions in the long run. That is why you should use olive oil instead, whenever possible, or other natural oils.
You can make your own cooking spray by placing olive oil in a spray bottle. It is easy and will keep your air fryer in the best condition possible.
Shake the Basket Every so Often
If you are used to cooking regularly, then you are probably aware of the fact that whenever you bake something in the oven, you are supposed to rotate the pans or flip the items halfway through. The exact same thing applies when it comes to cooking with an air fryer. If you just shake the basket a few times during the cooking, you will see a noticeable improvement in the end result.
This helps to ensure that all of the food is cooking evenly, and it is especially relevant when there is crispiness involved as it helps all sides to crisp evenly.